alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Hi to all

I would rather be doing something other than writing this thread, and never thought i would have to right this thread. I was rearended by a woman last week, leaving the car in a depressing state. The frame looks bent in the rear, atleast both frame rails are, and the rear looks like it is higher overall. The trunk pan was pushed slightly forward too, and the trunk was very difficult to open.

DynoDave43

iTrader: (11)

Ugh! Sorry to hear that.

Anything is fixable. It's just a question of time, parts and money. Unless you can do a lot yourself, or have a good agreed value insurance policy, you may find that this is terminal, costing more to fix than to replace.

FirebirdUSX

how is the gap from the doors? Are the doors still easy to open/close ?

B4C5.7

iTrader: (2)

Anything is fixable....but your car was hammered. I hope you were OK if in the accident.

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Yea, I'm sort of okay, it was a Jeep Cherokee. For some reason only one picture uploaded. But the door gaps are all a bit weird, but no issues with closing the doors.

I saw it coming and I was stopped but had no place to turn. I just hammered on the brakes and waited for it. Honestly it's just really depressing

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Again it did it.

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

About the only thing that retained its shape was the fiberglass trunk. But even the spoiler on it broke. Both frame rails have a bend in them and the spare tire absorbed a lot of the impact.

antares57

iTrader: (8)

She had insurance, right?

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

It is toast unfortunately. The whole rear subframe will be bent and buckled, if you lift the carpet you will most lilkely see wrinkles and buckles where the rear floor drops down for the seats. Sorry man, looks like it was a nice and clean car

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Yea she had Liberty mutual. I was afraid that it would be done. I only wonder how much the insurance will give me for it.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Dam Jersey Drivers

jkris53406

iTrader: (5)

On a car as rare as a notchback, I would fight as hard as you can to get it fixed. Good luck!

John Hagan

Sorry to hear about the car, but good thing is you're okay. I wish you all the best of luck.

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Yup, I'm gunna try as hard as I can to have it fixed. I'm probably gunna end up doing a lot of the work myself. It has an expensive price tag already, so I hope they give me money according to all the receipts- from the body shop and other restorations to it. And yeah, I've already had close calls with it due to other drivers- but I suspect she was on her phone. We shall see tomorrow, when the assessor comes.

roadthrills

I had one done almost EXACTLY like that once. Gas tank was removed, subframe was pulled back straight and plates welded to reinforce the area and wrinkled inner quarters and floor beat back into shape. Everything came out good and I never had any issues with driveability or anything. They had totalled mine and I bought it back for $800.

phasevariance

More than likely they will try to total it I bet.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Absolutely
I hope you have Collectors ins,(agreed value)

antares57

iTrader: (8)

When someone backed up on my '91 base 'Bird the insurance company totaled it and gave me around $2600 for a car I had bought for $900. I bought it back, fixed it up and had enough to pick up my '88 here in the forums. Point is, they're gonna total it and, without the fact that it is a notchback they should be offering you anywhere from $5800 - $9800 according to napa. Good luck.

http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Ca...r-Coupe/Values

Dbruce8112

If you don't have a frame table that thing will never be correct.

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Honestly, I already know that it will be totaled. I just hope they give me enough to be able to cover the damage. My dad says that he is going to tell them that he wants it fixed, and is going to try to make them pay for it. It's automatically her fault in NJ, she also got a ticket for careless driving. But the frame is going to have to be straightened. I am not sure. I will report back tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration btw roadthrills, the fact that something like this has been fixed gives me hope. I don't think I could watch her get scrapped much less have someone take her away.

Dbruce8112

Hopefully they will fix it. If they do total it out can you buy it back?
In MD you can buy them back for 10%, if that's the case use the cash to have it put on a frame table and straightened out.

Make sure the insurance company knows that this is a Rare car. Don't base your price on a run of the mill 3rd gen bird. If all else fails, Make them aware that you have contacted a lawyer and a Medical physician (which I hope you have). She was cited for Careless driving and IS at fault. No reason you should suffer from her carelessness.
lets us know when you have an update, very curious to see how this plays out!! Good Luck!!

deadbird

Don't know about there but here (IN), a big box of receipts of $ you've thrown at the car helps your odds of not getting the car totaled (or larger payout). Its also good to remind them that it's not your fault they (ins. co.) insure a dumb--s and that moron happened to hit a classic/more rare car. You'd appreciate them fixing your car to its previous state before their customer so kind adjusted the rear portion of your car w/o your approval. Oh yea, your neck doesn't feel right anymore either....

jmd

iTrader: (4)

I hate to be the pessimist.

But getting them to pay for it being fixed depends on several things.

The "rare and increased value" factor is going to be tough if listed book values for the car don't support it being worth more than most.

Even still, total repairs is going to be a LOT. Probably enough to exceed a percentage value of the car's value (according to published numbers.)

So unless you can fight an uphill battle and show your car is worth a lot more than they feel it's worth, the repair costs to vehicle value ratio is probably not going to support repair without a lot out of pocket on your part.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

Its something that everyone who owns a thirdgen should be aware of. If you have a car that is in original mint condition, restored, restomodded, rebuild into a race/show car....

You NEED to have agreed value insurance. Not having AGV insurance on these cars is like throw money down a black hole for real. No insurance company is going to assign any real value to these cars anymore. Unless you have a Firehawk, TTA, or some truly rare model that stands a cut above the rest its just another thirdgen to the insurance carrier and as soon as the damage approaches 50-70% of the car's value they will total it.

And since they value these cars at less than 7k usually, it doesn't take much if anything at all for them to total it.

BigBURGURPLE

this post above me is a good example of what NOT to do


I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I am an insurance adjuster for one of the very large insurance companies and I can tell you 100% that everything everyone just told you will not do squat. if you want to get more than what they are offering prepare for a very long and drawn out battle. if you have your own collectors or stated value policy just use that otherwise heres what will happen.

1.they will come and look at your car- they will deem it a total loss
2.they will get you a comparable vehicle report, this is how they determine the value.
3. they will tell you how much they will give you for the car
4. you will disagree and tell them you want more.
5. they will tell you that based on the reports your veh is worth x amount and they cannot deviate from this.
6. you will give them receipts and invoices of things that you have put into the car.
7. they will look at them and if you are lucky add a small fraction on to the settlement
8. you will go online and bash the company and they will stick to their guns. the end.

realistically the only course of action you have would be to have an independant appraisal done, (out of pocket of course, they will not pay for this). depending on the amount of difference you will likely have to take them to court. odds are the 3-5 grand difference between what you think its worth and what they do will be burned up in legal fees.

I know this is a terribly bleak outlook but this is what i see on a regular basis. remember being a dick to the person on the other end will only make them less willing to work with you. the biggest key is be polite and ask them tons and tons of questions like,
1. how do you determine the value?
2. can i see your comparable vehicle report?
3. can i see the print out of all of the options you listed for my vehicle
4. what if i disagree with your valuation?
5. what if i have listings from reputable dealers for a similar car that are much higher?
6. who can i talk to to discuss the valuation to my car?

again i cannot stress this enough, be polite and respectful and they will want to work with you and help you. be a d-bag like everyone is telling you and they wont do anything to help. I really really hope that you have a pleasant experience but again odds are you are in for a long drawn out process. so be patient and respectful and you will likely have better results.

deadbird

I can tell you, it's how I kept my Firebird from being totaled.

Keep in mind, I stated for my state as well.

Dbruce8112

I never said anything about being a Douche... Lol

Just tell them your neck is hurt and go to a chiropractor. Do the therapy and they will settle for another 3k maybe 4.

BigBURGURPLE

Injury and property damage is covered under two different exposures and two different parts of the business unit. Without legit documents stating injury the most you will likely get is between 500-1500. Don't pull the injury card as leverage because that is the definition of douchyness

subroc

iTrader: (2)

Pretty much agree with everything that BigBURGURPLE said...mainly because the same thing happened to me once upon a time. My mom totaled my iroc (yea i know reversed right lol). At any rate they only gave me i think 2500-3500 (been so long i can't remember). They would not budge from those figures since it was just an old car to them.

I will state this again for everyone else on here that has a very nice Third gen....get Agreed upon value insurance from Hagarty or the like! I have my current iroc valued at 15k should something happen to it since that is what i have in it (or there a bouts). There are no mileage limitations and i only pay around 400 a year. The only downside that will disqualify some is that the car needs to be garaged and not be a primary car.

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

[QUOTE

I will state this again for everyone else on here that has a very nice Third gen....get Agreed upon value insurance from Hagarty or the like! I have my current iroc valued at 15k should something happen to it since that is what i have in it (or there a bouts). There are no mileage limitations and i only pay around 400 a year. The only downside that will disqualify some is that the car needs to be garaged and not be a primary car.[/QUOTE]


EXACTLY!!!!!

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Well I still don't know what they will do to the car yet. I did manage to pull the trunk carpet after the guy left to examine the damage and I pulled the sill plates. There is metal warpage in just about every spot in the trunk, including above the fuel tank and there is a small hole above the fuel tank where the metal tore. The right side sill plate does have some metal that is bent and if you look at the passenger door jamb you could see the metal is crooked. I did look at Frank's Pontiac Parts online and it showed a complete rear clip from an 84 t/a that could be used as a place to start from to repair the car. I guess that might be a good place to start from. I don't know yet.

stealtht/a

iTrader: (1)

you won't be fixing that, it's toast. Get as much as you can from the insurance, start looking for another third gen.

seiplentz

iTrader: (2)

WOW that sucks!!! This is why I have a stated value policy on mine. I hope you can get it fixed.

bluegrassz

iTrader: (3)

Yes it can be fixed. Your best bet would be to find a shell with a good rear clip. Cars have the rear clip replaced all the time. You have to drill out the factory spot welds in the floor and cut the rocker. You also have to cut the rear B-pilars where it was put together from the factory. This should remove the damage from the car. You can add frame connectors if you do not already have them to help bracing. It is a bit of work, but your car can be saved.

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

Delivery from carrier





Fender damage both sides





Came out nice


When I bought my 89 GTA in FL, had it shipped to NJ via standard car carrier.
Well, it fell off the truck, on I-95 in FL,9:30 at night, slid across two lanes and wacked a sign pole *** end first. The carrier did not know it fell off. Cops pulled them over far up the road and turned them back around to the scene of the crime.

The truck co made up some stupid lie that it was a hit and run... their insurance co was giving me a hard time, took 2 weeks to get the police report from FL State Police ... got the truck co insurance run around somemore ...

Luckily, I got my own policy from Geico the day the car was loaded. Two weeks after the incident I called them and explained what happened. They sent an adjuster out the next day. Two days later I got a Check for $6500. Gieco Subrogated the carriers insurance co and left me out of it. They were great.

Good luck with your claim.

FirebirdUSX

unibody cars are just not made for damage in the back.New or old its the same thing...crash it in the back and you risk to total it easy.

@Jersey89GTA
They repaint the whole car? I see the pinstripes are gone after the fix.How is the paint in the interior after the fix? People don't care about that because its not visible but for some interior finish is important.How much it costs to look like it was never hit.... [/car ocd]

Twin_Turbo

iTrader: (25)

Jersey, yours came out nice but the damage is mostly cosmetic, his damage is structural down to the backbone of the car. It will take a whole lot more work and dedication to make that right again and it will never be as it was.

B4C5.7

iTrader: (2)

That is some story Jersey, you were wise to get the policy when it was loaded. The lack of integrity of that company to claim 'hit and run' is incredible. Your car looks great after repair.

Jersey89GTA

iTrader: (1)

I was so mad, was ready to drive to FL and beat somebody up.
Yes whole car was repainted, was my intention to do it anyway, just got a nice check to get it done, also tires ... rears had flat spots from sliding across highway in park/brake on ... trans pulled and resealed - leaking from accident. Valve seal job ...

Reason I got the policy was to immediately start driving it when it got here. In hind site, it was the smartest thing I ever did. Once the Trucker's insurance co found out that Geico was involved they quickly started returning my phone calls and tried to offer me $5K to go away. I just told them to F'off. In those exact words.


All good now, I had a deal with a local paint shop, I'd buy the parts and they did the work. Had to get a plastic rear bumper, glass hatch, new tail lights, fiberglass spoiler and a few other items. Worked out well. I'd say parts, body work and paint came to around $4K

As for the thread starter - Alex, if they give you a total, hope around $6500 to 7500 ish, there are a lot of nice low mileage cars out there in that price range. That's all these cars may book out at ... being generous.

Best of luck.

87350gtanj

Sorry to here about your notch like everyone else has noted hope you had an agreed upon value my notch if anything ever happens to her has an agreed upon value of $15,000. Again sorry for your loss!!!

PurelyPMD

iTrader: (3)

Why use an 84 when you could use an 88.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fire...-lo3-auto.html

That or if they total it and you don't want to fix it, sell me the notchback & I'll fix it.

Bradsaundry

I bought a 91 GTA a few years ago that had similar damages. The frame was bent and rear quarter totalled. My plan was to gut the area buy a rear quarter and bring it to a frame shop. I was quoted about $1800 to fix it if I had everything out and supplied the replacement panels. Long story short I ended up building an 85 that came to me by fluke. Needless to say I have a brand new passenger rear quarter that has no home. I don't know how much it would cost to ship. I'm from Vancouver BC if you end up needing one and if you pay for the shipping it's yours! Best of luck fixing the bird

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

The insurance offered 8 grand and minus 400 for buyback. It is still ongoing, but I plan to seek legal advice with respect to all the receipts I have for the car putting the value of the car at over 20 grand. I also need to have an estimate done as soon as I make the car driveable again by prying the quarter out from the wheel well.

DonW

Im afraid you are going to spend quite alot on legal fees just to lose in the end. On the upside, 8 grand gives you some options. ALOT of really nice low mileage third gens can be had for that.
Good Luck

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

8 Grand? I might consider buying my car back and parting the goodies out. Then taking all of the payoff money + money earned from sold parts to invest in a new car.

Don't even buy it back. Find a clean decent low mileage example of a top tier car.

8k gives you a ton of options.
Take the money as a DP on a TTA.
Use it as DP on a new 6th gen SS, C5Z06, C6 Z51, or any number of other new or used cars.
so many cars you can buy with an 8k down payment.

DonW

I would part it out too. And check out this low mileage L69 I just saw on craigslist. Excellent example of an early thirdgen! Not to mention you would have 2 grand left over make it perfect ;-) There are some nice thirdgens out there.
http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/5438528222.html

mantaguy

iTrader: (5)

Take the $8000 and sell it PMD.:2cents Just because you have $20,000 in it doesn't make it worth that.Again,

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Well this is the first day that I'm back on the forum, so first and foremost I need to say that the rear frame rail is bent at a 90 degree angle making the car impossible to return to any form of what it once was. After all the matters with the insurance are resolved, then I will post the outcome. I have begun to look at a replacement third gen though.

2many2do

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.I hope it all works out in the end for you. I'm not trying to capitalize of this but I have a rust free straight stripped shell (was the start of a restoration)from an 87 firebird /formula with t-tops that I've been debating what to do with. If you decide to "fix" it sectioning a rear clip might be a good option if done correctly. Or swap all the parts over, a lot of work but doable. My opinion would not be to pull it and weld/piece it back together and straighten, it will never be right. If you have any interest I can give you more info and pics of car, thought it might be an option. Looks like a nice car and hate to see it eventually junked. I'm New to the forum, and hope it will inspire me to get all my firebird projects going. I also have a trailer and could possibly work something out if you go that route. Good luck

alex722607

iTrader: (3)

Could you pm me about the details of the car and some pics. Thanks